SERMON III.

NUMBERS XXII, 21-30.

AND BALAAM ROSE UP IN THE MORNING, AND SADDLED HIS ASS, AND WENT WITH THE PRINCES OF MOAB. AND THE ASS SAID UNTO BALAAM, "AM NOT I THINE ASS, UPON WHICH THOU HAST RIDDEN, EVER SINCE I WAS THINE?"

READER, thou knowest there are several methods of preaching, in practice, among the diverse professors of that gift; but the principal ones seem to be only these two: to make some text of scripture, either the foundation or occasion of their discourse. It answers much the same purpose, whether a discourse be directly from the text, or only suggested by it. I imagine the readers of this discourse, will easily percieve which of these rules has been adopted by the preacher. Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass. It is clear to us, that there must always be some matter of importance, to induce a man of Balaam's character, to be up so early; and, no doubt, some pious purpose, is to be accomplished, when a prophet rises so soon in the morning. But we are immediately surprised to hear, that the anger of the Lord was kindled against the 'prophet! But the reason is given - Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness; and rose, to obtain such wages, by cursing that people, whom the Lord had blessed!

And, indeed, the whole creation groaneth, and is in bondage, until now; even the most harmless of animals, is brought into bondage, by the iniquities of man. Men of deep designs, and of rare policy, will make use of any in

OR EVANGELICAL BONUS.

strument, to accomplish their ends. And when a man is riding to the devil, an ass will serve that purpose, as well as a horse. Our covetous loco foco prophet had now a great object in his eye; the king of Moab had promised to exalt him to riches and honor, if he would curse the children of Israel; and, therefore, it is not wonderful that a man of Balaam's disposition, was up early in the morning, to look after these things. It was to serve a king, too;-loco foco prophets, and leading characters, in all nations, have been ardently disposed to serve the great. I have read of bishops who have employed themselves the same way; but how should he curse, whom God had blessed? What did the king of Moab, mean, by asking Balaam to curse Israel? Indeed, superstition has always been early in the world. Such as have had no just notions of a true God, have yet shown that they possessed some notions of a supreme power, either to bless, or to curse, at their pleasure. Balaam seems to have been one of the eastern Magi; and one of those who pretended to be hand and glove, with some powerful divinity, whose aid he could call in at his pleasure, to bless or curse whom he had a mind. It is undoubtedly correct, that all this was a corruption and perversion of the religion of the true God, which was here used, to carry out the pious purposes of false prophets, and the politics of loco foco princes. The greatest part of the leading men, and princes of this world, have meant no more, by religion, than to make it an engine of state policy, or a tool of secular interest. Men of any degree of sagacity, can easily see that the common people will not always be subject to their authority, unless they be brought under it, by means of some temporal advantage, or the influence of religion; and as those who aspire after power, are seldom disposed to part with many worldly emoluments, they endeavor to secure the subjection of the vulgar, with what costs them nothing, and what they them

*Hence the grouping of our patron loco foco Prophets, in the frontispiece, with their most excellent Princes will be considered in good keeping,-but we reserve our notes for future editions.

TO DIVERSE, NOTABLE FOOLS AND ASSES.

selves set no value upon. Severe as this reflection may seem, upon human legislators, experience has, for a long time, confirmed it; and, it is evident, from observation, that the greatest part of those who have desired to bring over, religion to their side, have made it the instrument of the gratification of their pride and ambition. And, indeed, it is difficult, if not impossible, to govern mankind without some form of religion; for it may be found by observation, that where there is least religion, or where it is most perverted, there is generally the greatest barbarity among the inhabitants, in any country. Where the knowledge of the Deity is well nigh obliterated from the minds of a people, they differ but little from other animals; they are rude, savage, and untractable, until instructed in the knowledge of reliligion. It ought to be observed here, that although princes have thus made religion an engine of government, by which to manage their subjects; yet, they could never so far prevail over priests and prophets, as to make them subserve the ends of their policy, without allowing them to go snacks with them, in the profits resulting from it. It appears, indeed, from a consideration of the influence of religion upon mankind, that it is necessary to their very constitution, in a civilized capacity; for without it, they in fact differ but little from brutes; even the best uninspired civil system of policy, cannot subsist without it; for where religion is once entirely removed, there is neither law nor policy. The Christian religion softens the mind, and makes it susceptible of impressions, to which men without it, are utter strangers. Without it, we have no proper springs of action, to what is truly virtuous and noble. Some men have been possessed of a sort of animal docility, by an appeal to which, they could be more easily kept in order, than others; but without religion, the best, even of them, have been but the milder sort of savages.

It is a pity, however, that it should be made subservient to the basest ends and purposes, as it often has been. It is

OR EVANGELICAL BONUS.

designed as the chief end of our nature, and, therefore, it should be the chief aim of all our conduct. All other things, we, as individuals, and as communities, should attempt to render subservient to this; and it is a sign of unsoundness in the human economy, when the mistress is made a dupe to her handmaids. And this is a strong argument in favor of religion, that generally, all men, in the time of distress, make her their dernier resort. And what kings find themselves unable to do by force of arms, they have sometimes imagined might be done by the Deity without them. Now this is a fair, though forced acknowledgement of human impotency, and of the providence and independence of God.

Whatever may have been said by travellers, our researches, have produced the conviction, that there is, and has been, no people on earth, who have not worshipped a Deity, in their estimation, either good or bad. The human mind, clearly appears to have been formed for religion; and notwithstanding the natural evil bias, and habit and custom in wickedness, yet the very errors, and excesses of mankind, show that their minds would exercise themselves very differently, were they clear from the natural and habitual fetters, with which they are bound.

Were there as many influences to operate upon us, and as many to instruct us, in the way of righteousness, as there are to decoy us into the paths of error and lies, we should, beyond a doubt, soon find these matters very different from what they now are. At such times as civil and religious rulers, are engaged in a united interest, to seduce mankind; if the Almighty did not show himself, in one way or another, at the head of the administration, in spite of them, it is impossible to say what the end would be. It is certainly observable, that all men, rich and poor, when they are in distress, and possess their reason, endeavor to bring over the Deity to their interest; yet often the means they then use to accomplish the end. can be reckoned only

TO DIVERSE, NOTABLE FOOLS AND ASSES.

among the number of their provocations. No man can justify himself in asking from God, what would ruin another; for when our heavenly Benefactor bestows a favor upon one, it does not in the least incapacitate him to do the same to another, if he stands in need of it. Curses, from human lips, are, of all things, the most disagreeable to a good and merciful God. What, Oh! Balak, didst thou mean? to send for a prophet, to curse a people, who, as yet, had not injured thee? God of mercy! what would become of thy people, Israel, had the king of Moab had power? They would then have been destroyed in a moment. It is indeed, well for the world, that God, after all, is the supreme Governor of it; for his laws are love, and his government, mercy. The king of Moab, must have been very ignorant of the character of God, who rules the universe, to imagine that he had not an equally good will to the same works of his hands. Perhaps he had been tinctured with the doctrine that there is both a good and evil genius-one that could curse, and another that could bless. At this time, he wanted the aid of the evil genius, to distribute maledictions among a people of whom he was afraid; fear and hatred, are very closely allied. Quisquis timet quamquam est intactus et odit.

When all things move on pleasantly, with wicked men, they entirely neglect, and all but forget, their God; but when they become sensible of their own incapacity to bear their trials and distresses, they would then selfishly and willingly, throw themselves upon the Almighty. This is the invariable result of fear, until they have sincerely repented of their sins. And it requires no proof, when we state, that there always have been, and still are, many men in the world, who entertain the same opinion of God, that they have of the devil; that he is always disposed to do ill to such as are his enemies. Their notions of good and evil, are much alike; and, therefore, their God and their devil, must of course, have the same character. The